Draft-rigging for cars.



Al Cl DRAFT RIGGING FOR CARS- APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6. 1907- Patented M3 2, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

A. C. McCORD.

DRAFT RIGGING FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6. 1907.

Patented May 2, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 x w k k &

| l I l l Illdtl ALVIN 1C. MCCORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

nrr-iueerne non cars.

Specification o menace.

Patented ltltay 2, 1916..

e ers Patent.

Application filed September 6, 1907. Serial No. 391,709.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALVIN C. MoCono, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the count of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Rigging for Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the. invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to draft rigging for cars, and has for its object to improve the same in the several particulars hereinafter noted. V

The invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The device disclosed and claimed in this application is in the nature of a modification of the device disclosed and broadly claimed in a companion application filed of even date herewith under Serial Number 391,708, entitled Draft rigging for cars,

and many of the features of this application are common to those of said companion application.

The invention is illustrated in the accom- "panying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a view chiefly in plan,-but with some parts in horizontal section and some parts broken away, showing the improved draft rigging. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line m c of Fig. 1, some parts being left in full the draft sills being omitted. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 00 m of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line in m of Fig. 2.

The numeral -1 indicates draft sills or center sills of the car. The rear portion of these draft sills 1 are rigidly secured to heavy stop brackets 2 that are formed with stop shoulders 2 and 2 the latter of which project inward beyond the former. To the forward portions of said draft sills are rigidly secured, on the inner faces thereof, heavy front stops or draft lugs in the form of heavy metal blocks or brackets 3 that are provided with longitudinally extended slots t that coincide with slots 5 in the said draft sills.

The coupler draft bar 6, at its rear end, carries a heavy transversely extended key 7 that loosely fits a seat formed therein, and the ends of which project through the slots at and 5 and are adapted to slide therein both in a forward and a rearward direction from the normal position shown in the drawings.-

In its normal position the rear end of the coupler draft bar 6 stands transversely in line with the vertical inner extremities of the said front stops or draft lugs 3. Rigidly secured to the draft sills 1, as shown, to the outer faces thereof, are thrust blocks 9 that are provided with elongated slots 9 arranged to register. with slots 9 in said sills 1. The said slots 9 and 9 are located rearward of the front stop blocks 3 for a purpose which will hereinafter more fully appear.

A. casing 8 preferably made up of two rigldly connected sections works between the draft sills 1 and at its intermediate portion is provided with laterally projecting lugs 10 that normally engage the stop lugs .2 of the stop brackets 2. The rear portion of this caslng 8 is shown as slightly reduced and extended rearward between the rear stop brackets to form a seat for the rear end of a heavy cushioning spring 12. In this arrangement, the casing, as one of its functions, is made to serve as a rear follower or cap to the cushioning spring.

Heavy so-called draft arms 13 are rigidly bar 6, and they are rovided with elongated the forward extremities thereof engage with the forward edge of the said key 7, and the rear extremities thereof terminate, as shown, transversely in line with the rear extremities of the slots 4 and 5.

The front follower 15 normally engages the rear end of the coupler draft bar 6 and the rear extremities of the front stops or blocks 3, and is provided with passages 16 through which the arms 13 work freely. A heavy key 15 closely fits a seat in said follower 15 and its ends project through and work freely in the coincident slots 9, 9 of the draftblocks 9 and sills 1. The said slots 9 and 9 are of such length :1 so

disposed that the key 15 engages the front extremities thereof in the normal position of the parts, and under movements due to bumping strains, said key 15 will engage the rear extremities of said slots simultaneously with the engagement of the key 7 with the rear extremities of the coincident slots 4 and 5. a

A spring cap 17 which may be also properly designated as an intermediate or secondary follower, is placed on the inner end of the cushioning spring 12 within the casing 8, and is guided for sliding movements longitudinally of the rigging by the said casing. The'sp'ring cap 17 is provided with laterally and rearwardly projecting lugs 17 that workin internal grooves 8 formed in thesides of said casing, and in grooves 2 formed in the rear stop brackets 2. These lugs 17, therefore, serve to support the rear portion of the casing directly from the said'brackets 2 and thus eliminate the necessity for transverse upper and lower guide plates, such as are usually secured to the .draft plates. Also, the said lugs 17 prevent rotation of the said spring cap or intermediate follower with respect to the casing. The casing itself is, as is obvious, held against rotation by engagement between its arms 13 and the keys 7 and 15 with the draft plates. Also as is evident, the forward portion of the casing is supported from the draft sills by said two keys and would be supported'by either thereof. The rearward projections of the lugs 17 are such that they will engage the stop lugs 2"- of the rear draft brackets 2 simultaneously with or' slightly before the cushioning spring is solidly compressed under bumping stra ns, thus preventing the sprlng from becoming hammered or distorted under bumping tended one upward and the other downward. The-two levers.have contact with each other, and'the lever v19 engages with the spring cap 17, while said lever 18 engages a camsurface 15 on the- 'rear face of" the follower 15. I

Operation: Under bumping 'strains, the casing-8 and its arms'13 remain stationary, and the front follower 15 is pushed rearward by direct engagement therewith of the rear end of the coupler draft bar 6, and

the key 7, under such rearward movements of said draft bar, moves freely in the slots 14, 4 and 5 of the said arms 13, front stops and draft sills 1, respectively. The arrangement is such that the keys 7 and 15 strikethe rear extremities of the said slots in which they work, simultaneously with the engagement of the front follower 15 with the front end of the casing 8, thereby distributing the final shock under extreme movement, to six fixed parts, to-wit, the said front stops 3, the said brackets 9, and to the rear stop brackets 2. The form and arrangement of the cam acting levers 1,8 and -One rocking movement of said levers is produced by bumping strains when the casing 8 remains stationary and the front follower 15 moves rearwardly, as just above noted, and under such bumping strains the said spring cap or intermediate follower 17 is, by rearward movement of the draft bar and the accelerated movement imparted thereto through said levers, moved rearward against the spring 12 at a rate of speed which exceeds that of the coupler draft bar and front follower. Furthermore, the said levers when thus moved, constantly change their leverage, so as to differentially increase the cushioning power of the spring. Under draft strains, the front follower l5" remains stationary and the spring casing 8 moves bodily forward, such forward movement thereof being produced by engagement of the key 7 with the forward extremities of the slots '14 of the arms 13. When the casing 8 moves forward under draft strains, it

compresses the spring 12 directly proportional to the forward movement, of the coution reverse to the movement of the draft bar and casing 8. v

From what has been said above it will, of course, be understood that while the maximum travel of the coupler draft is limited bythe length of the slots in said front stop 3 and stop bracket 9, that the entire resistance to draft and bum ing strains is taken by the spring and di erential levers under all'"movements less than extreme travel, or, in other words, until the yielding capacity of the gear has been exhausted.

Under forward movements of the draft bar inmate a lower 15, simultaneously with the engagement of the key 7 with the forward front extremities of the slots 4 and 5, thereby delivering the force of the shock to six different places, to-wit, by engagement of the key 7 with the forward extremities of said-slots 45, by engagement of the front follower 15 with the rear ends of the front stops 3, and by engagement of the key l5 with the front extremities of the slots in said brackets 9.

bar, a front follower engageable with the rear end of said draft bar, a key supporting said follower from said laterally spaced supports with freedom for rearward movement,

a casing limited in its rearward movement by said rear stops and provided with forwardly projectmg slotted arms, a key carried by said draft bar and its projecting end working in slots in said arms.and in said laterally spaced supports, the slots in said supports beinglonge'r than the slots in said arms,- and resilient cushioning means interposed betweensaid front follower and said casing, substantially'as described.

2. The combination with relatively fixed front and rear stops, of a front follower limited in its forward movement by said front stops, a casing, limited in its rearward movement by said rear stops, a draft bar connected to said casing for movements therewith in a forwardly direction, but having rearward movement with said front follower and in respect to said casing, a spring cap or intermediate follower working in said casing and supported and guided by said rear stops and casing, whereby the said casing is also supported from said rear stops, and a spring interposed between said spring cap and the rear portion of said casing, substantially as described. The device above described is particu- 3'. The combination of a gear casing held from rearward movement and having forwardly projecting rigid arms, frictional draft gear in'said casing, and a drawbar having a longitudinally slidable connection with said arms, whereby the drawbar may move rearwardly independently of the casing and forwardly with said casing.

k The combination of a gear casing held from rearward movement and having forwardly projecting rigid arms, frictional draft gear 1n sald casing, and a drawbar having a pin and slot connection with said arms, whereby the drawbar may move rearwardly independently of the casing and forwardly with said casing.

5. The combination of a frame provided I with front and rear stops, a slidably mounted gear casing having its rear end coacting with said rear stops, a front follower mem-' ber inthe casing coacting with said front stops, a frictional draft gear within the casing between its rear end and said front. follower member, and a draw-bar arranged at the front of the casing to coact with said front follower member and having a slot and pin connection with the casing.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two wltnesses.

AL IN c. MCCORD.

Witnesses: E. B. Fnnrsorr, W. 18. Motion. 

